Very shortly, there’ll be a wave of employees flocking back to work. Transitioning from “working from away” to working from the office by “staying apart” will likely be challenging. There’ll be new screening requirements in most workplaces. Personal hygiene and frequent workspace sanitization may alter work schedules. And…of course, social distancing is likely to prevail.

Now, more than ever, having the appropriate workplace software can make a difference in ensuring a stress-free transition for your staff.  

Overcoming transition hurdles

Believe it or not, but most – if not all! – of your employees are likely chomping to get back to the office. Some will have personal reasons like a yearning for freedom from the kids or eagerness to get the latest water cooler gossip. Others miss the workspace’s social interaction with colleagues and friends. Whatever the reason, that transition won’t come quickly.

So, what can you do to make it less stressful for your staff?

Here are four things that employers should consider:

1) If possible, be flexible about workplace timings. Allow staff to start and finish work at different times – at least initially – until they fully transition into the new norm.

2) This flexibility may mean colleagues share workspaces and other resources, like desks, cubicles, specialized tools, equipment, and work productivity devices. Use high-end space management software to make scheduling office space, conference rooms, and office equipment easier for staff.

3) Due to stricter than regular office cleaning and sanitization protocols. Some high-use workspaces and workplace assets may likely be unavailable for use on a rotating basis. The right Room Scheduling software allows staff to reserve rooms ahead of time through an intuitive and easy-to-use interface. No more will staff scramble to find alternate workspace as they see the cleaning crew heading their way!

4) And speaking of not having to scramble, how about making the booking and scheduling of meeting rooms? And conference rooms more scramble-proof for your staff?  Obviously, because of office social distancing protocols. Office administrators no longer allow a 10-room meeting room to seat ten individuals. 

Equipping these common-use spaces with Room Display Touchscreens is the simplest way to bring order and efficiency to managing these spaces. Why have your staff clamber to check the availability of a given space when they can get all the details about that room with a few taps of the touchscreen mounted just outside the door?  

Happy staff are more productive

Anything that employers can do to relieve the stress of back-to-work transition – they must! Because staff are returning to a brand-new work world, they’ll be on edge – at least initially. Having vital workplace software aid in the transition will go a long way in making the change less stressful for your returning teams. 

Not only will these few steps make the return to work less stressful, but it’ll also make your staff happy. And a happy workforce is always a more productive one!